Peter Karahalios’ Public Speaker, hero of Arlington’s $100,000 Sea o’ Erin Handicap last Sept. 7, has been installed as the lukewarm 7-2 choice in the morning line of a field of 11 named to Saturday’s $100,000 Illinois Owners Stakes at 1 1/16-miles over Arlington’s world famous turf course.

Virginia Tarra’s Giant Oak, winner of the $150,000 Arlington Classic on May 23 last year, is the 4-1 second choice in the fourth renewal of the race restricted to owners with a registered Illinois address.

Public Speaker, trained by Ken McPeek, made the pace in an allowance race on the grass at Keeneland in his last start April 9 but weakened in the final furlong to finish second by a neck at the wire. Junior Alvarado, defending jockey champion at Arlington from last season, has been named to handle the reins.

Giant Oak, who has been back and forth from turf to the main track throughout his career, was third in Keeneland’s Grade III Ben Ali Handicap on Polytrack in his most recent start on April 18 but also was third, beaten only a length for all of it in Arlington’s $50,000 Honor Glide Stakes in his last turf start Sept. 7. Veteran Arlington reinsman Eddie Razo, who was aboard Giant Oak throughout the colt’s Mid-America Triple campaign at Arlington last season, returns in the irons for the first time this year.

Somewhat of an unknown factor in the Illinois Owners is Scarlet Stable’s Forest Attack, who was supplemented to this race by trainer Mike Maker at entry time. Although a 6-year-old with 19 lifetime starts, the son of Forestry has never run on grass and was entered to see if a turf campaign was a viable option in his future. The entire son of Forestry was a front-running four-length winner in his last start April 17 in an allowance race over Keeneland’s Polytrack. Jockey Michael Baze is slated for the tack.

Craig Bernick’s You Go West Girl, a 6-year-old mare who won back-to-back races restricted to New York-breds on the grass course at Belmont last fall, is the tepid 5-2 morning line choice for Saturday’s fourth running of the filly and mare division of the $100,000 Illinois Owners Stakes at 1 1/16-miles over the Arlington Park turf.

Trained by Tom Proctor, You Go West Girl finished third beaten four lengths in her last start at Keeneland April 16 over the Lexington lawn. Irish-born jockey James Graham, runner-up in Arlington’s jockey standings last season, is listed for the tack.

Capable of providing strong competition for You Go West Girl is Glen Hill Farm’s Closeout, also trained by Proctor, who is pegged at 3-1 in the morning line. Closeout will have jockey Jesus Castanon in the irons and won her last start April 3 when she captured the $85,000 Turf Distaff at Tampa Bay Downs.